Something about this Harden situation doesn’t sit well with me and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t sit well with a few other readers as well. Coming into the 2009 season, we knew that Harden would be a free agent at the end of the season. I had a feeling the Cubs wouldn’t bring him back. What I didn’t expect was that we would get nothing for him whatsoever. When he’s healthy, and that’s the key, he has one of the most electric arms and overpowering set of stuff in the game. Now, he’s pitching for Texas and we’ve got nothing to show for it. I believe Jim Hendry had two moves to make and held on both of them when he could have been active.

Move # 1 – Trade Rich Harden late in August last year to Minnesota

On August 28, ESPN noted that the Minnesota Twins had claimed Harden. There was talk that they were interested in dealing him, but that the asking price was too high. I was ok with it at the time, though I would have made the deal, because I assumed it meant Harden would either be back next year or we would at least make the offer of arbitration in an effort to receive a supplementary 1st round pick this year in the draft as compensation. Instead, we did neither.

By dealing him in August, it does send a white flag to your team, but did we really think we were going anywhere at that point? As of that day, we were 9 back in the division and 6.5 in the wildcard. It wasn’t happening and the move should have been made, especially considering that the team shut Harden down not too long after that.

Move # 2 – Offer Harden Arbitration

Some may disagree with me on this one, but hear me out. With Harden being a Type B free agent, it was up to the Cubs to offer arbitration to Harden to be eligible to receive compensation this June in the event that he went to another team via free agency. The fear of many was that if he was offered arbitration, he would accept and we’d be stuck with him. While that certainly could have happened, looking at the current state of the rotation could that have been that bad of a problem to have? I’m not saying he is someone I want to spend the money on for 2010, but if we were stuck with him, it could be worse.

What I would have done is offer arbitration to Harden with the assumption that he leaves. If that’s the case you’re a pick richer in the draft as a result. On the off chance he accepts the offer for arbitration, you follow the lead of the GM of Atlanta, Frank Wren. When offering arbitration to Rafael Soriano, a player they didn’t really want to bring back, they saw him accept. They promptly turned around and dealt him to the Rays for Jesse Chavez. Is Chavez a great prize? No, but when you get dealt an unexpected lemon, you make lemonade. Hendry could have offered to Harden, had he accepted, you deal him before the hearings. You can’t tell me no team would be interested in him for a small price. Even if the player coming back is nothing more than a scrub, you get more that we got as of right now.

You can rave about Hendry’s moves this off-season to move the Aarons (Miles and Heilman), but I look at his inability to properly deal with the Harden case and his overconfidence in the market for Milton Bradley as big time mistakes that I’m not going to be quick to forgive this off-season.

Who Am I?

Clue # 1 – I once struck out six times in a game

Clue # 2 – I played for the Cubs for one season before being traded to Cincinnati

Clue # 3 – I never won the MVP award, but was the runner up in the NL one year.

Clue # 4 – I died just over five years after my final game.

Clue # 5 – My Nickname was “Tiger”

Clue # 6 – Legend has it that during his one season in Cuba, Hoak actually batted against Fidel Castro

Clue # 7 – On May 26, 1959, in a game against the Milwaukee Braves, Harvey Haddix had pitched a perfect game for 12 innings. In the 13th, MY throwing error on a ground ball by lead-off hitter Félix Mantilla ruined the perfect game bid.

Clue # 8 – I was a Pirates’ broadcaster for two years, a coach for the Phillies in 1967, and a manager in the Pirates’ farm system for the next two years.

Joe Aiello is the founder of View From the Bleachers and one of the lead writers. Growing up in Chicago, he fondly remembers attending games in the bleachers before that was the popular thing to do. Currently Joe resides in North Carolina with his wife and three kids and helps people protect their assets as an independent insurance agent.
Connect with Joe via Twitter / Facebook / E-mail

Hm, well, you do make a really interesting point about trading Harden in the event he accepted arbitration a la Rafael Soriano. Given how relatively weak the FA starting pitching market is this off-season, I would agree that the Cubs could’ve probably found a taker. Maybe Hendry didn’t want to go through the trouble of such negotiations while he’s grappling with the Milton Problem? Just a guess.

I’d mildly disagree, however, that there was an “off chance” Harden would’ve accepted arbitration. By all appearances (however vague), he seemed happy playing for the Cubs and comfortable with the team’s training/medical staff (always important with the Richster!). I mean, he wound up going to a hot, hitter-friendly ballpark, which says to me he jumped at the first decent offer he got. Still wonder what happened with the Mariners. That would seem like a perfect fit. Maybe they lost interest in Harden once they got an inside track on Cliff Lee.

Also, I’m not sure getting scrubs IS any better than getting nothing. After all, if those scrubs never make any sort of impact on the major league level, you’ve essentially gotten nothing anyway. Then again, with the way Hendry seems to be stockpiling mid-level arms, it’s hard to believe he couldn’t have gotten (yet another) potential bullpen guy (or two) from the Twins or, as you suggest, a trade partner if Harden had accepted arbitration.

MJ

The only thing I’m miffed at it, is how little he was signed for. I’m really hoping Hendry had a bad read on what he’d make in free agency and that’s why he let him go. Of course, if that’s the case, perhaps Hendry needs to be given the boot if he’s that off in his estimations. Harden should still be a Cub, especially given the Lilly situation. An extra arm would be really nice.

Josh

I have no idea what Hendry is doing.

Seymour Butts

I don’t think you are supposed to give the players real name in a trivia question where his name is the answer you seek. Just sayin.

dat_cubfan_daver

I see what you’re saying, MJ, but I think committing even $7.5 million to Harden would’ve essentially prevented the Cubs from bidding on a decent centerfielder. This seems all the more apparent with the Cameron signing.

Joe

Yeah, probably not. Good call.

DB

Joe, what you just pointed out is exactly what makes me so furious about this latest example of Hendry’s buffoonery. Now, I always wanted Harden back, but like you said, we got absolutely NOTHING because Hendry completely screwed up. And with Lilly likely not to start until May…!

Meanwhile, he’s still “weighing his options” about “improving” the team. Yeah, with who? Who is still left out there?

MJ

Bidding on who? All I keep hearing is “interest” in this guy, or that guy.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m really frustrated watching the moves the Brewers are making, and even the White Sox. Hendry seems to have his thumb up his keister all because of these idiotic contracts, and one really bad signing. Way to go, Jim. Way to go.

At this point, if Bradley’s the real hold up. Dump him for whatever you can get, and eat some of the salary. Otherwise, I’ll see all of you in 2011.

If I were a GM, I’d be sitting there waiting until Spring Training before even looking at MB. By that point, Hendry will have had his hands tied, they won’t have been able to fill the other needs very well, and Jim will be desperate to dump for anything just to save face. This is a complete F’in mess.

Mike

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I would not mind having Milton Bradley back in a Cub uniform next year. He really is a good player. He was never really given a chance here. He had a miserable first few weeks and then immediately everyone got on his case. I’m sorry, but it’s pretty hard to do well when everyone is booing you in your home park three weeks into the season.

Seymour Butts

I’ll go out on the same limb. Bradley is likely to put up better numbers wherever he goes than the guy we get back for him. If there was any way to mend the fence, it might be the best option.

On an entirely unrelated note, pigs were noted to be flying in the sky over Chicago today……

MJ

The air temp is too cold for a pig to gain lift today. Those reports are unfounded.

sherm

< >

Swine flew?

Rick Beato

Neither does Hendry.

Rick Beato

Bradley had more chances here than he deserved. What in the world would have a thin-skinned ballplayer sign here if he can’t handle it? And if he thinks Chicago fans are tough, has he ever heard of Phildaelphia or Boston? Please, any person in any profession who is making $10 million per year while “praying” that his workday will hurry up and let him go home on time has bigger problems than fan support.

Mastrick

I think that the Cubs are finally showing some degree of fiscal responsibility. Why? Because they have to.

http://twitter.com/moondogkp MoondogKP

I still disagree with Joe on this offering Harden arbitration. There are parallels with the Braves’ situation, but let me point out one (huge) difference: the Braves were trying to get two picks, where Harden would’ve just brought one. That’s why they offered. When Soriano called their bluff, they sent him to TB for what the Braves wanted at that point, a cheap middle relief arm. The Cubs would’ve been stuck with Harden at whatever the arbitrator would decide on, which would have likely been north of $10 million. If the agent told Hendry he wouldn’t talk about a contract with them under that figure prior to the arbitration deadline, what choice did Hendry have, especially if the purse strings are finally being controlled? He did what he had to do there.

And has anyone else seen the article where someone mentioned Harden declined to go to Minnesota in August? I thought I saw a reputable national guy include that in their blog/article at some point.

dat_cubfan_daver

That’s a good counterpoint, Moondog. And I agree – the Cubs just didn’t (and don’t) have wiggle room on their payroll for Harden. And Rich’s injury history made offering him arbitration him all the more risky. If Hendry had committed most of his available dollars to the right-hander and then Harden came up lame, people would be screaming bloody murder.

Of course, if the Cubs lose out on Marlon Byrd (who’s no great savior to begin with), the team could find itself with Sam Fuld and/or perhaps Reed Johnson in centerfield ANYWAY – which means maybe Harden should have just as well stuck around.

I don’t remember hearing (or reading) that Harden declined going to Minnesota. As I recall, Hendry nixed the deal because the Twins weren’t offering enough in return. If you find that link, though, I’d like to read it.

Doc Raker

I have more of Moondogs mindset on the Harden deal. Hendry knows what the arbitration numbers would have been and they would have been to high for a 5 inning pitcher. And as far as trading him if he accepts arbitration, and he probably would have, how many bad leverage trades do you want to make. If Hendry is shopping Harden other GM’s know it’s because we can’t afford to pay him and MUST trade him so any trade leverage goes out the window with the flying pigs. Until we get rid of the Hasbro albatross Hendry doesn’t have much wiggle room.

Harden is a closer in waiting, he just wants to be paid starter money before he considers the move to closer.